Walking toy



May 31, 1932.

w. RAVERT WALKING TOY gwwntoc ay 1932- w. l. RAVERT 1,850,476

WALKING TOY Filed May 14. l931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ///'a m Fan/art PatentedM131, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrl'ce WILLILI I. RAVEB'I, OF HAZLETON,PENNSYLVANIA, ASBIGNOB TO A. w. DRAKE I LN'UIACTUBING OOIPANY, OIEAZLE'ION, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01' WALKING TOY Application medKay 14, 1981. Serial llo.- 587,885.

The pi sent invention relates to improvements in the construction andoperation of figure to s, and more especially to that type of toy w 'chautomatically walks, jumps, or

6 hops down an inclined track or plane.

Heretofore, the interest and attractiveness of toys of this type hasbeen considerably lessened due to the fact that the toyv when placed onan inclined surface has a tendency to move sidewise' and unless underconstant observation will fall oii of the track before it reaches thelower end thereof.

An important object of the presentinvention is to provide means forguiding or controlling the direction of movement of an animal or figuretoy on an inclined track so that once the toy starts down the track, itwill travel in a straight or predetermined path without danger offalling oil of the track before it reaches the bottom thereof.

Another object comprehends the provision of means for causing thesimultaneous actuation of different parts of the animal body so that thetoy in its downward movement on the track Wlll simulate the naturalorlifelike characteristics of the animal depicted'by the toy.

A further object consists in providing an inclined track with a guiderib whichextends longitudinally of the upper surface thereof andterminates short of each end of the track so as to detachably receive asupporting stand at its raised end.

A further object is to provide a supporting stand for engaging theelevated end of the track, said stand comprising a ground engagingportion and a laterally ofiset clip for receiving the upper end of theinclined track to maintain it at the desired inclination and also permitparts of the track to be readily assembled or dismantled so that whennot in use the track and support may assume a com.- pact form.

Another object is to provide a reversible walking toy with means forguiding it down an inchned surface.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description when taken in conjunction with theaccompayingclaims.

Referring to the drawings in which is shown several embodiments of theinvention:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the invention showing a reversiblewalking toy being guided in its downward movement on the track.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of Figure 1 with parts in sectionfor the purpose of illustration.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention"shownin full lines, one position of the parts of the animal body, and indotted lines a difierent position of said parts caused by the downwardmovement of the toy.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the upper end of the inclined trackshowing its connectzon with the supporting stand.

Figure? is a detail side elevation of a further modification.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts inthe several views, and more particularly Figure 1, 10 indicates the bodyof a walking figure toy, which, for convenience of illustration, hasbeen shown as a duck. The body 10 haspivotally connected thereto, thelegs 11 by the pin 12 (Figure 3), the swinging movement of the legsbeing limited by the stop pin 13 which moves in an opening 14 in thebody 10 so that when the toy is placed on an inclined surface or track15, the curved lower end portions 11' of each leg 11 will coact with theinclined track to impart an oscillating advancing movement .to the toyin a manner well known in this art.

In order to prevent the toy from falling off the track 15 before itreaches the bottom thereof, means are provided for insuring the toymoving in a straight or predetermined path down the track, which meansconsist in providing the upper side of the track 15 with alongitudinally extending guide rib 16 which is preferably positionedmedially of the track and arranged to fit into a curved groove 10.

or recess 17 formed in the concave bottom 17' of the body 10.

While the inclined surface 15 is shown provided with the rib for fittinginto the recess formed in the body of the toy, it is obvious that theseparts may be interc an ed.

The bottom 17 of the toy bo y is so curved, and the legs 11 pivoted tothe body in such a manner that the toy is reversible 1n its movement onthe track, that is to say, either end of the toy may constitute thefront or leading end as clearly shown in the two positions of the toy inFigure 1.

The rib 16 of the inclined track preferably terminates short of each endof the track to provide the smooth portions 18 that are arranged todetachably receive the clip 19 of the supporting stand 20. Thesupporting stand 20 is preferably stamped from metal and has its upperend bent to form the laterally disposed recess 21' (Figure 6) whichreceives the upper end of the track 15 and constitutes the clip 19 byvirtue of which the track may be detachably supported in the desiredinclined position. The stand 20 is of such a height as to insure theinclination of the track to be such as to effect the proper downwardmovement of the toy when placed thereon. When not in use the track 15and stand 20 may readily be dismantled to assume a compact form.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, the body21 is represented as that of a rabbit, and has its legs 22 pivotedthereto by the pin 23. The swinging movement of the le 22 are limited bythe pin 24 which is positioned in a recess 25 in the lower portion ofthe body 21. The downward movement of the toy on the track 26 is guidedor controlled by the rib 27 which extends from the upper surface of thetrack and fits into a curved recess or groove 28 in the underside of thebody 21. In order that the animal depicted by the toy may have partsthereof simulate the lifelike characteristics of the animal when inmotion, the cars 29 are pivoted as at 30 to the body 21 and areoperatively connected to the le s 22 by a link 31 so that as the toymoves own the track, the movement of the le 22 imparts a simultaneousactuation o the ears 29, causing them to swin from the position shown infull lines in igure 4 to the dotted line position. It will be noted thatthe connection of the ears 29 to the legs 22 is such that when the legsswing forwardly the ears are raised, which is a characteristic of themovement of these parts of a live rabbit when it runs.

Obviously, any part desiredof an animal or figure toy may be arranged tobe actuated in the same manner as the ears 29.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 7, there is illustrated ahopping, leaping or jumping toy in the form of a monkey 31 that has itsrear legs 32 pivoted thereto as at 33 and its front legs 34 formed sothat when the toy is placed on an inclined track 35, the rear legs 32swing about their pivot to cause the body and the legs 34 to osclllateso as to impart a hopping or jumpin downward movement to the toy. Byproviding the track 35 with a rib 36, the toy 31 will be guided in itsath down the track and thus be prevented rom falling off thereof beforeit reaches the bottom. The rib 36 is of such a height that the upwardmovement of the front legs 34 will not be sufiicient to jump over it,thus insuring the controlling of the toy '31 in its downward movement onthe track 35.

It is to be understood that the several forms of the invention shown anddescribed are merely illustrative of different embodiments which theinvention may assume, and that such changes may be made thereto as fallwithin the purview of one skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an inclined track having a guide rib extendingfrom the upper surface thereof, an animal simulating toy arranged tomove down the track, said toy including a body provided with a recessarranged to engage said rib, spaced members pivoted to the sides of thebody and adapted to coact with the track for imparting an oscillatingmovement to the toy w en mounted on the track.

2. In combination with an inclined track 7' having a medially disposedguide rib in the upper surface thereof, a figure toyarran ed to movedown the track, said toy includin a body having a concave bottom providewith a recess arranged to receive said rib, and a member pivoted to thebody and coacting with the track to impart an oscillating advancingmovement to the toy. v

3. In combination with an inclined track having a medially disposedguide rib extending longitudinally thereof, an animal simulating toyarranged to move down the track, said toy including a body having acurved bottom surface provided with an arcuately disposed recessarranged to receive said rib, a pair of spaced members pivoted to thebody and coacting with the track to impart an oscillating advancingmovement to the toy.

4. In combination with an inclined track havinga rib extendingfromtheupper surface thereof, a reversible walking toy arran ed to movedown the track, said toy inclufing a body having a curved track engagingportion provided with an arcuately disposed recess,

said recess arranged to receive said rib for guiding the toy on thetrack, a pair of members pivoted to the sides of the body and havingcurved end portions arranged to engage the track and coact therewith toimpart an,

oscillating advancing movement to either end of the toy when ositionedon the track.

5. An inclined trac for walking toys comprising a fiat member having arib extending longitudinally from the upper surface there- 7. Aninclined track for walking toys comprising a flat member having a ribextending longitudinally from the upper surface thereof and terminatingshort of the ends of said member, and a support having a laterallyoffset clip arranged to engage one end of said member.

8. In combination with a track having a substantially flat inclinedsurface, a figure toy arranged to move automatically on the track, saitoy having means coacting with the track for imparting an oscillatingadvancing movement to the toy, and means on the upper surface of thetrack coacting with complementary means on the toy for directing thepath of movement of the toy on the track.

9. In combination with a trackhaving an inclined flat surface, an animalsimulating toy arranged to move automatically down the track, meanspivoted tothe toy coacting with the track for imparting an oscillatingadvancing movement to the toy, and means on the upper surface of thetrack and coacting with complementary means on the toy for directingthepath of movement of the toy on the track.

10. In combination with a track having an inclined flat surface, ananimal simulating toy arranged to move automatically down the track,means pivoted to the toy coacting with the track for imparting anoscillating advancing movement to the toy means on the upper surface ofthe track and coacting with complementary means on the toy for directingtrack, movable parts connected to t e body,

and means simultaneously actuatin the parts upon the oscillation of thebody uring its downward movement.

'11. In combination with a track having an inclined flat surface, ananimal simulating toy arranged to move automatically down the track,said toy including a body having the path of movement of the to on the Itrack coacting with complementary means on the toy for maintaining thetoy in a predetermined path in its downward movement on the track.

12. In combination with an inclined track, an animal simulatin toy arraed to movedown the track, said toy inclu ing a body, spaced memberspivoted to the body and adapted to coact with the track for imparting anoscillating movement to the toy when mounted on the track, andcomplemental rib and groove means on the toy and track for guiding thetoy along a predetermined path down said track.

13. In combination with an inclined track, an animal simulating toyarranged to move down the track, said toy including a body, spaced legspivoted to the body and adapted to coact with the track for imparting anoscillating movement to the toy when mounted on the track, complementalrib and groove means on the toy and track for guiding the toy along apredetermined path down said track, a pair of additional body membersmounted on the body for movement independently of the body, and meansoperatively connecting said body members with the legs whereby to causesimultaneous actuation of the body members upon movement of the toy.

14. In combination with an inclined track, a figure toy arranged to movedown the track, said toy including a body, a member pivoted to the bodyand coacting with the track to impart an oscillating advancing movementto the toy, and complemental rib and groove means on the bottom of thetoy body and the track to guide the toy along a predetermined path onsaid track in the course of its oscillating movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM I. RAVERT.

